Braiding machine for strand structures



Dec. 13, 1966 P; NOLAN 3,29Qflfi41 BHAIDING MACHINE FOR STRAND STRUCTURES Filed Oct. 24, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Page ENomn zip/v Ma /w ATTORNEYS Dec. 13, 1966 P. E. NOLAN 3,290,984

BRAIDING MACHINE FOR STRAND STRUCTURES Filed 001;. 24, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 TO MOTOR CONTROL CIRCUIT INVENTOR Page BNQHM ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,290,984 BRAIDING MACHINE FOR STRAND STRUCTURES Page E. Nolan, 3302 S. 106th St, Omaha, Nebr. Filed (lot. 24, 1963, Ser. No. 318,690 7 Claims. (Cl. 87-51) This invention relates to a braiding machine, and in particular to such a machine which automatically braids wires, ropes, test set cables, etc.

In certain automatic braiding machines it is conventional practice to utilize selectively energized electromagnets to effect movement of a plurality of cable cari'iers along a grooved plate in a predetermined pattern such as a figure eight. Certain other machines utilize mechanical means, such as change gears, to effect transfer of yarn holders or bobbins for a braiding operation. Both the mechanical and electrical transfer methods present disadvantages to cable manufacturers because of the complexity of the braiding machines which result in low efficiency, initial high cost and specially trained repairmen.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to construct an automatic braiding machine from relatively simple parts.

It is another object of this invention to provide an automatic braiding machine with a simple operation to effect a braiding twist.

This invention has another object in that strands to be braided are transferred between braiding wheels of a braiding machine by electromagnetic means.

Another object of this invention is to synchronize the energization of electromagnets in a predetermined sequence conforming to a braiding operation of a braiding machine.

Another object of this invention is to transfer the strands to be braided and the supply thereof as a unit between peripheral portions of the wheels of a braiding machine.

This invention has another object in that the braiding tubes of a braiding machine are made of magnetic material so as to be magnetically moved in a braiding pattern.

It is a further object of this invention to provide the braiding wheels of a braiding machine with tube receiving notches which define the air gaps of magnetic core structures. 7

In the achievement of the foregoing and other objects, a braiding machine embodying the present invention includes a plurality of braiding wheels disposed in peripheral relationship to each other with attracting means on each wheel, a plurality of braiding tubes retained on the peripheries of such wheels, .by the iattracting means, and sequence control means actuating the attracting means in sequence whereby the braiding tubes are sequentially transferred between the wheels.

Additional objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation view with parts in section of a braiding machine embodying the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a section view taken along line 2-2 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a top plan view of certain details shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a schematic wiring diagram of the sequential control system; and

FIGURE 5 is a schematic diagram of a braiding tube utilized in the present invention.

As is illustrated in FIGURE 1, a braiding machine embodying the present invention includes a horizontal base having a generally rectangular, upstanding, open frame 3,290,984 PatenteclDec. 13, race 11 on one end thereof and a capstan 12 mounted on the other end. The capstan 12 has a cable receiving wheel 14 and a bevel gear 16 that is driven by a smaller mating bevel gear 18 which is operatively connected to a variable speed transmission 20 of any suitable type. A drive shaft 22 has one end connected to the transmission 20 to form a capstan drive and has an intermediate portion keyed with a cogwheel 24 whose gear teeth mesh with the gear teeth of a driving pinion 26. An electric motor 28 of any suitable type is mounted on the base 10 and is operatively connected to cause rotation of the pinion 26.

A pillow block bearing 30 on the base 10 supports the drive shaft 22 between the cogwheel 24 and the drive shafts other end which carries a bevel gear 32. As is illustrated in FIGURE 3, the bevel gear 32 meshes with and drives a transversely disposed, larger bevel gear 34, which is keyed to an intermediate portion of a driver shaft 36. The driver shaft 36 is horizontally disposed and provided with a bevel gear on each of its respective ends. Inasmuch as the structural elements associated with the bevel gears on each end of shaft 36 are identical, only the elements shown on the bottom of FIGURE 3 will be described in detail; the corresponding elements on the top of FIGURE 3 will merely be identified with one hundred added to the reference numeral. For example, the bevel gears 38 and 138 are carried on opposite ends of the driver shaft 36.

The bevel gear 38 meshes with and drives a transversely disposed, larger bevel gear 40 (FIGURE 1) intermediately fixed to a vertically disposed shaft 42. The lower end shaft 42 is rotatably mounted in an end bearing 44 fixed to the base 10 and the upper end thereof protrudes through a ball bearing mount 46 fixed to the upper portion of frame 11. A bevel gear 48 fixed on the protruding end of shaft 42 meshes with and drives a larger, transversely disposed bevel gear 50 which is fixed to a hollow wheel shaft 52 adjacent one of its ends that is supported by a journal bearing 56 having a suitable mounting bracket 58 for attachment to the top of frame 11.

Adjacent the journal bearing 56, a braiding wheel 60 is fixed to the shaft 52 and a smaller braiding wheel 62 is fixed to the end of shaft 52. The peripheries of each braiding wheel 60 and 62 are notched with a plurality of equally radially spaced, semi-circular recesses; the number and shape of such notches may be varied in accordance with the particular braiding operation to be performed.

By way of example :in describing the present invention each braiding wheel has three notches and the notches on one wheel are aligned with the three notches on the other wheel; thus the three sets of notches define three pairs of notches 64-64, 66-6-6, and 68-68 with one of each pair being on braiding wheel 60 and the other of each pair being on the braiding wheel 62. More than two braiding whee-ls may be mounted on the shaft 52 in order to maintain proper alignment of the braiding strand and in some circumstances a single braiding wheel may be sufiicient; accordingly, for the sake of brevity, the following description with respect to the three pairs of notches will simply be [identified with a single reference numeral for each pair, such as 64, 66 and 68.

As is shown in FIGURE 3, the shafts 52 and 152 are disposed in converging relationship to each other and the braiding wheels 60 and (62 and 162) are disposed so their peripheries are adjacent each other. By means of the above described gearing arrangement, the braiding wheels 60 and 160 are rotated in opposite direction, i.e., counterclockwise for a Wheel 60 and clockwise for wheel 1 60 as viewed in FIGURE 4.

The notches 64, 66 and 68 provide separate mountings for three braiding tubes T T and T respectively. Each braiding tube is made of magnetic material and includes a hollow cylinder portion having a circumference slightly smaller than the circumference defined by a peripheral notch 64, 66 or 68 whereby a tube may be rotatably nested in a notch on the wheel. Adjacent the larger braiding wheel 60 (160), each braiding tube is integrally formed with a pair of aligned, apertured mounting ears which receive the axle of a spool (S S and S A supply of the material to be braided is wound on each spool and a strand thereof extends through its corresponding tube for a braiding operation to be described below.

Each of the notches 64, 66 and 68 define the air gap of an electromagnet, the core of which may be integral with the braiding Wheel 60 (160) or may be a separate piece attached thereto. As is illustrated in FIGURE 2, the opposite edges of each notch form the north and south poles of the magnetic core so that upon energization thereof, the corresponding braiding tube, which is made of magnetic material, will be magnetically held in the notch. Each of the three electromagnets includes a core and an electric coil, identified as units 74, 76 and 78 for the respective notches 64, 66 and 68. As in the case of the notches 64, 66 and 68 the electromagnets are also to be construed as part of a set or pair 7474, 7676, and 7878 with one of each pair being on braiding wheel 60 and the other of each pair being on the braiding wheel 62. For the purpose of illustration, the wiring diagram of FIGURE 4 shows the coils of each pair of electromagnets connected in parallel for simultaneous energization; it is to be understood that the electromagnets may also be connected in series.

The braiding wheel shafts 52 and 152 are mounted with their axes converging (FIGURE 3) so that the braiding tubes T T and T have converging axes and the strands therefrom feed into a guide ring 13 which is suitably supported by the transmission housing 20 and from which the braided product moves as a single strand to the capstan wheel 14. Because of the converging axes the peripheries of the braiding wheels 60 and 160 (62 and 162) are beveled to present flat peripheral surfaces adjacent each other.

The braiding wheel shaft 152 carries a driving collar 180 or gear for rotating a cam wheel assembly 182; the circumference of the cam wheel 182 is equally divided into two cam surfaces 184 and 186 for a purpose to be described hereinafter.

A description of the electrical components of the circuits shown in FIGURE 3 will be incorporated in the following description of a sequence of operation of the braiding machine. Each pair of electromagnetic coils (connected in parallel) are connected to a rotatable slip ring assembly having a common brush and a plurality of brushes according to the number of notches, identified with a letter B after the reference numeral. A similar numbering system is utilized for the relays (R) and for the cam switches (C).

As is illustrated in FIGURE 3, the electromagnet power source includes two main conductor lines 200 and 202, while the relay control power source includes two main conductor lines 204 and 206. A pair of relays 28MR and 28RR are connected to the magnet power source conductors 200202 and to the relay control power source conducts 204-206, respectively, and each of such relays have a lead conductor, between which the control circuit of motor 28 is connected in series. Such an arrangement defines an electrical interlock for the motor 28 and the two power sources so that failure of any one of the two power sources will cause a shut down of the motor 28.

Upon energization of the electrical circuits of the braiding machine, the wheels 6062 are rotated counterclockwise (FIGURE 3), the wheels 160-162 are rotated clockwise, and the cam wheel 182 is rotated clockwise. As the wheels rotate past the position shown in FIGURE 3, the cam switches 64C, 168C and 66C are closed by the cam surface .184 and the cam switches 164C, 68C and 166C are opened. At this time a circuit for electromagnets 7474 may be traced from conductor 200, common brush 63B of the slip ring assembly 60B, the parallel connected coils of the electromagnets 7474, the corresponding brush 64B, the relay 64R, and conduct-or 202; a circuit for the relay control may be traced from conductor 204, relay 64R, conductor 210, cam switch 64C, conduct-or 220 and the conductor 206. As shown from the position of cam surfaces 186, the cam switch 164C is opened so that its relay 164R is deenergized whereby the corresponding coils of electromagnets 174174 are deenergized. Thus the tube T will be magnetically retained in the notch 64 until this notch is again rotated 360. It should also be noted that since cam switches 66C and 168C are closed, their respective electromagnets 7676 and 178.178 are energized so that the tubes T and T are magnetically retained in the notches 66-66 and 168168, respectively.

Upon rotation of the wheels 60 and from the position shown in FIGURE 3, the cam wheel 182 will be rotated 60, whereupon cam switches 166C, 64C and 1680 will be closed and cam switches 66C, 1640 and 68C will be opened. Thus, the tubes T and T in notches 64 and 168, respectively, will be retained therein; since cam switch 66C is then opened and calm switch 166C is closed, the tube T will transfer from wheels 60-62 to the wheels 160462.

Continued operations as described above results in the magnetic transfer of the tubes and supply spools as a unit in a figure eight pattern so that the three strands are twisted on each other in the guide ring 13 from which a braided product is pulled. The braided product is wound about the capstan wheel 14 and is then connected to a take-up device (not shown).

In accordance with the above description, the tubes T are firmly retained in their respective notches and thus are available for additional operations. For instance, the braiding tubes T may be individually powered to do some form of work, such as twisting by the simple addition of more slip rings on each braiding wheel shaft and corresponding contacts at the transfer notches in the braiding wheels. With such a provision, the work being performed on such braiding tubes could continue without interruption while being carried on either braiding wheel. For the sake of brevity, these additional circuits have not been separately described or shown on the drawing, however, a schematic illustration of an individually powered braiding tube is shown in FIGURE 5. While only one braiding tube is shown in FIGURE 5, it is to be understood that the number of tubes is the same as described above.

The braiding tube includes a front hollow cylindrical portion 300 having a pair of insulated contactor rings 302304 for selective energization of a small electric motor 306 carried by the tube portion 300. The tube portion 300 is rotatalbly connected to a rear spool mounting portion 308 by means of a journal bearing 310 so that there may be relative rotation between the tube portion 300 and the spool mount 308. Any suitable number of spools may be carried by the spool mount 308 and, in this instance, two spools 3.12 and 314 having suitable stranding material thereon are rotatably mounted on a spool axle 316. A driven gear 318 is fixed to the outer cylindrical Wall of the hollow spool mount 303 and is driven by a pinion gear 320 which is fixed to the output shaft of motor 306 for rotation thereby.

When it is desired to have the braiding tube perform work during a braiding operation, the notches in the wheels 60-62 and 160-162 are provided with the. braiding tubes of FIGURE 5. The tube portions 3% are disposed in the aligned notches nd-6d, 66-66 and 168-168 for sequential transfer between the braiding wheels as described above. The contactor rings 302 and 304 are connected to the source of power by any suitable means such as slip rings (not shown) on the hollow shafts 52 and .152 so that energization of the motor 306 causes the spool mount 368 to rotate on the bearing 310 while the front tube portion 390 is magnetically retained in its notches and does not rotate. With such an arrange- .ment, it is now apparent that the stranding material from one or more spools 312, 314, etc. may be provided with a special twisting operation before it is braided.

Inasmuch as the preferred embodiment of the present invention is subject to many variations, modifications and changes in structural detail, it is intended that all matter contained in the foregoing description and shown on the accompanying drawings, shall be interpreted as illustrations and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed is:

1. In a braiding machine, the combination comprising a plurality of rotatable braiding wheels disposed with peripheral portions adjacent each other, drive means for rotating said wheels, notch means disposed about each of said peripheral portions, magnetically attracted braiding tube means dis-posed for transfer from one notch means to another, electromagnetic means for each notch means and being energized to retain said braiding tube means in its corresponding notch means, each notch means defining an air gap and each electromagnetic means defining opposite poles separated by said air gap whereby energization of each electromagnetic means imposes a magnetic field perpendicularly across said braiding tube means, electrical circuit means for energizing said electromagnetic means, switch means sequentially controlling said circuit means, and electrical interlock means connected between said drive means and said circuit means being operative to deenergize said drive means upon failure of said circuit means.

2. The combination as recited in claim 1 wherein said switch means include a cam operator connected to said drive means for rotation thereby.

3. The combination as recited in claim 2 wherein said braiding tube means includes supply spool means integrally formed therewith.

4. The combination as recited in claim 1 wherein said braiding tube means includes :a tube portion and a spool mounting portion, and means to effect relative rotation between said tube and said mounting portions.

5. In a braiding machine, the combination comprising a plurality of rotatable braiding wheels having peripheral portions disposed adjacent each other, a plurality of notches equally spaced about each peripheral portion, a plurality of braiding tube means of magnetic material corresponding in number to the number of said notches on one peripheral portion, electromagnetic means for each of said notches effecting a magnetic field thereacross so as to be perpendicular to said braiding tube means, control means energizing said electromagnetic means to retain said braiding tube means in selected ones of said notches, switch means sequentially moving said control means whereby said electromagnetic means are energized in a predetermined sequence, means operating said switch means in accordance with rotation of said braiding wheels, and individual power means for each of said braiding tube means operating the same while in said notches.

6. The combination as recited in claim 5 wherein said braiding tube means comprises a spool mounting portion, a front tube portion and bearing means operatively connected to said spool mounting portion and said front tube portion to provide relative rotation therebetween.

7. In a braiding machine, the combination comprising a pair of electrically operated drive shafts spaced from each other along converging axes, small and large braiding wheels spacedly mounted on each drive shaft with peripheral portions of said small wheels adjacent each other and peripheral portions of said large wheels adjacent each other, a plurality of notches equally spaced about the peripheral portion of each braiding wheel with the notches on the small braiding wheel being on aligned axes with the notches on the corresponding large braiding wheel, a plurality of braiding tubes of magnetic material corresponding in number to the number of notches on one of said braiding wheels, electromagnetic means for each of said notches, each of said notches defining an air gap for its electromagnetic means whereby energization thereof retains one of said braiding tubes therein with a magnetic attraction that is perpendicular to the aligned axis on which said one braiding tube is disposed, control means operative to rotate said drive shafts in opposite directions and to energize said electromagnetic means to retain said braiding tubes in selected ones of said notches, and switch means sequentially controlling the energization of said electromagnetic means in accordance with rotation of said braiding wheels, said electromagnetic means for aligned notches on the small and large braiding wheels being simultaneously energized whereby the corresponding braiding tube is magnetically retained at spaced points along its length.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 681,998 9/1901 Swift 87-51 X 1,103,181 7/1914 Elliott 87-51 3,088,363 5/1963 Sparks 87-33 FRANK I. COHEN, Primary Examiner.

MERVIN STEIN, Examiner.

I. PETRAKES, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN A BRADING MACHINE, THE COMBINATIONS COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF ROTATABLE BRAIDING WHEELS DISPOSED WITH PERIPHERAL PORTIONS ADJACENT EACH OTHER, DRIVE MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID WHEELS, NOTCH MEANS DISPOSED ABOUT EACH OF SAID PERIPHERAL PORTIONS, MAGNETICALLY ATTRACTED BRAIDING TUBE MEANS DISPOSED FOR TRANSFER FROM ONE NOTCH MEANS TO ANOTHER, ELECTROMAGNETIC MEANS FOR EACH NOTCH MEANS AND BEING ENERGIZED TO RETAIN SAID BRAIDING TUBE MEANS IN ITS CORRESPONDING NOTCH MEANS, EACH NOTCH MEANS DEFINING AN AIR GAP AND EACH ELECTROMAGNETIC MEANS DEFINING OPPOSITE POLES SEPERATED BY SAID AIR GAP WHEREBY ENERGIZATION OF EACH ELECTROMAGNETIC MEANS IMPOSES A MAGNETIC FIELD PERPENDICULARLY ACROSS SAID BRAIDING TUBE 